Drive arrangement for an apparatus for the fluid treatment of fabric in rope form



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR AMBROSE L.HASHE,JR.

g- 1969 A. L.HASHE. JR

. DRIVE ARRANGEMENT FOR AN APPARATUS FOR THE FLUID TREATMENT OF FABRIC IN ROPE FORM Filed April 19, 1968 g Olfl W Y 0QM ATTORNEYS 3,460,361 UID Aug. 12, 1969 A. L. HASHE, JR

DRIVE ARRANGEMENT FOR AN APPARATUS FOR THE FL TREATMENT OF FABRIC IN ROPE FORM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 19, 1968 INVENTOR AMBROSE L.HASHE,JR.

g 0\ W W zaom US. Cl. 68-176 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A drive arrangement for the Ziegler et al. Spiral Apparatus (Pat. No. 3,308,639), which forms textile fabric in rope form into a helix and revolves the loops of the helix within a beck or tank for the wet processing of the roped fabric whether scouring, bleaching or dyeing; such drive arrangement rotating the spiral guide member at selectively varying speeds in relation with the rotation of a feed roller means, such as a main reel, and in timed relation with the revolving movement of an endless chain carrier attachable to and for revolving the leading end of the roped fabric, whereby the space loading of the roped fabric in the beck is selectively controlled so that successive loops are laid up around the parallel main reel and the spiral guide member at selectively, regularly spaced apart distances in a regular pattern along the longitudinal extent of the main reel.

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a further and new and novel development and improvement of the basic concept and apparatus and method disclosed and claimed in the patent to Ziegler et al. No. 3,308,639, issued Mar. 14, 1967 and the companion and related pending divisional Ziegler et al. application, Ser. No. 630,154, filed Jan. 11, 1967, now Patent No. 3,379,494 granted Apr. 23, 1968, and the related and pending Ziegler et al. application, Ser. No. 713,- 119, filed Mar. 14, 1968 and the related and pending Ziegler et al. application, Ser. No. 722,668, filed concurrently herewith and the related and pending Hashe application, Ser. No. 722,665, filed concurrently herewith; and is in the nature of a continuation-in-part application of the recited Ziegler et al. patents and applications in that there is a common assignee of this application and the recited Ziegler et al. patents and applications.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention The present invention relates to new and novel improvements in the Ziegler et al. apparatus employed for the wet processing of roped fabrics in a tank or beck, as disclosed and claimed in the previously recited Ziegler et al. and Ziegler patents and pending applications and, more specifically, is directed to new and novel improvements in a drive arrangement for the cooperative movements of the rotatable roller means, the rotatable spiral guide member and the revolving carrier for the leading end of the roped fabric.

More particularly, the present invention appertains to new and novel improvements in a drive transmission means for the spiral guide member whereby the roped fabric can be loaded into the beck in a continuous helix of selectively variably spaced apart loops dependent upon factors, such as the type and nature of the fabric and the nature of the wet process.

3,460,361 Patented Aug. 12, 1969 Description of the prior art The state of this art is exemplified by the Ziegler et al. patents and applications which essentially disclose an apparatus for treating textile fabrics in rope form, especially scouring, bleaching and dyeing fabrics, comprising a tank for a treating medium; a driven roller feed or drawing means, essentially in the nature of a main reel; a spiral guide member in the form of an elongated shaft having a helical Wire or rod-like member coaxial with and supported on the shaft and arranged so that the rope fabric to be treated passes from the roller means through the treating medium in a bottom chamber in the tank and under and through the spiral guide member in the form of a helix; a carrier in the form of an endless conveyor chain adjacent one end of the roller means and attached to and for revolving the leading end of the rope fabric around the adjacent ends of the roller means and the spiral guide member; drive means for revolving the carrier and for rotating the roller feed means and the spiral guide member in the same directions and with the carrier and guide member moving in timed relation so that the rope fabric drawn into the tank by the roller means has its leading end carried over the roller means and through the spiral guide member to form a predetermined size loop and the spiral guide member is rotated so that the movable pockets defined thereby guidingly receive and lay up the successively formed loops along the lengthwise extent of the roller means with the loops being in a constant position lengthwise of the roller means.

The spiral guide member is mounted for rotation between the tank end walls and is formed with regularly spaced apart pockets or spiral convolution spaces which are movable in the sense that the pockets cause the formed loops to be laid up around the roller means and the guide member, lengthwise of both, as the spiral guide member is rotated.

Because of varying fiber make-up and density of different fabrics in rope form and for other reasons related more especially to the type and nature of the textile fabric, made partly or wholly of natural of synthetic fibers, being treated and because of the particular treatment being imparted thereto, such as the nature of the liquid or fluid bath and its desired and necessary relationship in association with the revolving loops of the textile fabric, it is desirable to load the apparatus in a fashion so that the roped textile fabric loops are spaced diiferent distances apart along the main reel. Thus, so that the formed loops are laid up in selected spaces or pockets of the helical guide member rather than only in every consecutive space or pocket.

In the Ziegler et al. patents (referred to above), the spiral guide member or reel is driven so as to only receive the roped fabric in every consecutive pocket or space. The spiral guide member is driven by a drive transmission means from the main reel which is directly driven by a prime mover, such as electric motor. The drive arrangement is such that the main reel is directly driven and the rotative speed thereof governs the movement of the cloth into the tank. The drive is transmitted through a positive infinitely variable gear box to revolve the carrier chain and to rotate the spiral guide member in a timed relation with each other. The speed of rotation of the spiral guide and the conveyor chain are selected to give the desired length and spacing for the successive loops of the helix of the rope fabric for the particular fluid treating operation to be carried out. For example, the main reel or roller is driven at a certain predetermined number of r.p.m.s so as to give a fabric speed of so many yards per minute while the finger on the carrier chain makes one revolution per minute and the spiral guide member also makes one rotation per minute. Therefore, a loop of a predetermined length is successively laid up in each consecutive pocket or space of the spiral guide member.

The need has arisen, as pointed out in the foregoing, of desirable control spacing of the roped fabric loading of the apparatus so that the spiral guide member will be revolved to receive the rope textile fabric, as is being formed in loops by the endless carrier, and to guide it in a selective manner, whereby the loops are spaced apart along the length of the main reel in a selective arrangement.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a controlled positive speed transmission for the spiral guide member. The transmission does not influence the draw-in speed of the fabric or the length of the textile fabric loops but only the fabric spacing in the spiral guide member and, therefore, along the length of the main reel or equivalent roller means. The length of the textile fabric loops is controlled by the speed of revolutions of the carrier chain means with the intake speed of the roped fabric being controlled by the surface speed or revolutions per minute of the main reel which is directly driven by the prime mover. The positive infinitely variable drive means controls the carrier chain in its revolutionary movement and rotates the spiral guide member through the selectively variable positive transmission on the output end of the positive infinitely variable drive or gear box.

In accordance with the present invention, the drive arrangement for the main reel or its equivalent roller means and for the carrier chain remains the same from the direct prime mover and the positive infinitely variable drive or gear box but the output speed from the positive infinitely variable drive or gear box to the spiral guide member can be selectively controlled and changed so as to drive the spiral guide member at selected revolutions per minute whereby the loop pockets or spaces thereof will receive the roped textile fabric in varying arrangements. This is accomplished by the interpositioning of a selectively variable positive transmission between the output shaft of the gear box and the spiral guide member.

Thus, if the input speed to the transmission is the same as the output speed, the spiral guide member would be driven so as to receive the laid up loops of the roped textile fabric in every consecutive space or pocket of the spiral guide member.

In a transmission ratio of 2:1, the input speed to the transmission remains the same but the output speed is twice the input speed drive so as to drive the spiral guide member at an rpm. speed so as to receive the roped textile fabric loops in every other odd numbered space or pocket of the spiral guide member. For example, the space loading would be such that a loop would lie in the first, third, fifth, seventh, etc. pockets.

In a driven/drive ratio of 3:1, the input speed to the transmission remains the same but the output speed driving the spiral guide member would be three times the input speed so that the roped textile fabric would be received in the first space or pocket, not loading the second or third space, and loading the fourth space. Thus, for example, the space loading would be pockets 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, etc.

In a driven/drive ratio of 4: 1, the input speed remains the same but the output speed driving the spiral guide member would be four times the input speed so that the spiral guide member would receive the roped fabric loops in the first space or pocket, not loading the second, third, or fourth space, loading the fifth space. Thus, for example, the space loading would be pockets numbers 1,

5, 9, 13, etc.

The foregoing are but selected exemplary loading arrangements following from the basic concept of driving the spiral guide member at varying speeds in relation to the speed of the carrier. Thus, a primary object of the present invention is to provide a drive arrangement for controlling the spacing of the roped fabric loading in a Ziegler et al. type apparatus.

Commensurate with the foregoing, another important object of the present invention is to provide a drive arrangement for the spiral guide member, whereby selected spaces or pockets of the spiral guide member may be loaded with the loops which would produce varied spaced apart arrangements of the loops along the extent of the spiral guide member and the parallel main roll around which the loops are laid up.

Consequently, a further important object of the present invention is to provide a controlled spacing of the fabric loading which would result in selected spaced arrangements of the loops in the apparatus for carrying out more effectively various fluid treatment of the roped fabric that makes up the loops, depending upon the nature of the fabric and the fluid treatment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGURE 1 is a schematic showing, partly in front elevation, of the drive arrangement for the apparatus, which drive arrangement includes a drive transmission for the spiral guide member so as to control the spacing of the fabric loading of the apparatus.

FIGURES 2 through 5 are schematic illustrations of exemplary space loading arrangements which can be effected in accordance with the drive arrangement of FIG- URE 1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings, and initially to FIGURE 1, the reference numeral 10 generally designates an apparatus for the fluid treatment of fabrics in rope form, which is of the type particularly disclosed in the Ziegler et a1. patents and applications, as identified in the foregoing.

Essentially, the apparatus 10 comprises a main reel 12 which is journalled for rotation between the end walls or similar supporting frames or structures of the beck (not shown), either of the open or closed tank type. The disclosed main reel is exemplary of any roller means of equivalent arrangement. Spaced from the main reel 12 and also journalled for rotation in the end walls or supporting frames of the tank is a spiral guide member M, which is composed of a helical rod-like or wire member spiraled around a stabilizing and supporting shaft. The wire member defines a series of regularly spaced apart, spirally arranged, convolution spaces or pockets 16.

An endless conveyor chain 18 is disposed at one end of the main reel 12 and the spiral guide member 14 and travels in an orbital path in a vertical plane substantially at right angles to the axis of rotation of the main reel 12 and the spiral guide member 14. The endless orbital path of the conveyor chain passes above, beyond and under the outer periphery of the main reel 12 and under, beyond and above the outer periphery of the end portion of the spiral guide member. The conveyor chain is provided with finger 20, to which the leading end 5 of the roped fabric is swively attached.

In accordance with the present invention, the main reel 12 has a projecting shaft end 22 which is provided with fixedly circumposed drive input and output sprockets 24 and 26. The input sprocket 24 is connected by a chain 28 to a drive sprocket 30 on the driving shaft 32 of an electric motor 34, which constitutes the prime mover.

The output sprocket 26 is connected by a chain 36 to a sprocket 38 on the input shaft 40 of a positive infinitely variable drive or gear box 42. The gear box 42 has an output shaft 44 carrying a sprocket 46 which is connected by a chain 48 with a sprocket 50 on a lay shaft 52.

The shaft 52 has a fixedly circumposed output sprocket 54 that is connected by a chain 56 to a sprocket 53 which is fixed on a sleeve (it) in association with a sprocket wheel 62 around which the conveyor chain 18 travels,

the sprocket 62 constituting the drive sprocket in a series of sprocket wheels defining the endless orbital path of movement of the carrier chain 18. The sleeve 60 is freely circumposed for independent rotary movement on the drive shaft 64 for the spiral guide member 14, the drive shaft 64 being fixed to the spiral guide member 14, in the manner disclosed in Hashe copending application Ser. No. 722,665, filed Apr. 19, 1968.

The lay shaft 52 is provided adjacent its outer end with an output sprocket 66 which is connected by means of a chain 68 to a sprocket wheel 70 on the input shaft 72 of a selectively variable positive drive transmission 74 for controlling the rotation of the spiral guide member 14.

As shown somewhat schematically in FIGURE 1, the gear transmission 74 includes the driving shaft 72 and the driven shaft 64. The driving shaft 72 and the journalled end 76 of the spiral drive shaft 64, the end 76 constituting the driven shaft of the transmission '74, are provided with sliding gears 78 in selective driving association with gears 80 of different ratio on a lay shaft 82 in the transmission housing. A gear shifter or selecter 84 is provided so as to slide the gears 78 into selected meshing and driving relationships with the first, second, third and fourth gear driving arrangement of the gears 80 in the gear housing which results in the rotation of the driven shaft 76 and its associated shaft 64, which constitutes the drive shaft for the spiral guide member, at selected rotational speeds.

Thus, as shown in FIGURE 2, with the gears in the transmission position of a 1:1 ratio, the input speed of the shaft 72 to the transmission is the same to the transmission gear box 74 as the output speed of the driven shaft 76 and, consequently, the associated drive shaft 64 for the spiral guide member so that the spiral guide member is driven to receive the textile roped fabric loops L in every consecutive space or pocket 16.

It must be borne in mind that there is no change in the drive rotation of the main reel. This is set at a preselected speed in accordance with ordinary operating procedure for the electric motor. The rotational or surface speed of the main reel controls the linear rate of movement of the roped fabric. The speed transmission 74' plays no part in the drive of the main reel or in the revolution per minute of the finger on the carrier chain. The loading is varied, in the sense of varying the spacing of the loops of the roped fabric along the main reel 12 by means of the transmission 74.

As shown in FIGURE 3, when the transmission is in the position of 2:1 ratio, the input speed to the transmission 74 remains the same but the output speed is twice the input speed resulting in the driving of the spiral guide member at a faster r.p.m. so as to receive the loops L1 in every odd space or pocket of the spiral guide member. Thus, as shown in FIGURE 3, instead of every consecutive space or pocket 16 being loaded, the first pocket 16a is loaded, the third pocket 16b and the fifth pocket 16c and the seventh pocket 16d, etc.

As shown in FIGURE 4, in the transmission position of 3:1 ratio, the input speed to the transmission remains the same but the output speed, because of the shifting of the gears into a third drive, results in the output speed driving the spiral guide member three times the input speed so that the spiral guide member receives the loops of the textile fabric in the first space or pocket, not loading the second or third space, loading the fourth space and continuing in such arrangement. Thus, as shown in FIGURE 4, the loops L2 are received in the first pocket 16a, the fourth pocket 162, the seventh pocket 16 etc.

In the transmission position of 4:1 ratio, the input speed remains the same but the output speed driving the spiral guide member is four times the input speed so as to receive the loops L3 in the first space or pocket, not loading the second, third or fourth space, and loading the fifth space and continuing thereon. Thus, as shown in FIGURE 5, the loops L3 are loaded in the first space 16a, the fifth space or pocket 16c, the ninth pocket 16g and continuing on in the thirteenth, etc. pockets (not shown).

The first pocket or space 16a will always contain a loop since this is the loop forming and reforming pocket in its structural and functional adjacency to the carrier 18 which has the leading end 5 of the roped fabric attached thereto. The selected rotational speed of the spiral guide member will determine which pockets of the spiral guide member receive the successive loops in guiding the loops around the roller means and maintaining the loops in the selected spaced apart relation along the extent of the roller means. After the loading operation is completed, the trailing end (not shown) of the roped fabric revolves freely in the last pocket (not shown) of the spiral guide member 14 as the first loop is being constantly reformed and the intermediate loops, between the first and last pockets, are revolved so that they pass through the treating bath, as disclosed in the Ziegler et al. patents and applications.

Accordingly, it can be appreciate-d that a drive arrangement for controlling the spacing of the roped fabric loading in an apparatus of the Ziegler et al. type is provided, which drive arrangement is extremely simple, dependable and durable and which would be extremely effective for controlling the guiding rotation of the spiral guide member, without interfering with the rotation of the main reel or the timed revolutionary movement of the carrier means with the spiral guide memberv Of course, the depicted and described gear box transmission 74 is merely a simplified disclosure of the basic concept. The manual control, through the use of the selector or gear shifter 84, can be eliminated in favor of a push-button control and the gearing can be replaced with a more sophisticated arrangement, such as a fiuid drive arrangement or other type of selective positive speed control or positive drive arrangement.

What is claimed is:

1. In an apparatus for treating textile fabrics in rope form and including a roller means, a guide arranged in relation to the roller means and having movable pockets for guidingly receiving the roped fabric in loops so that the roped fabric passes from the roller means and over the guide through the pockets and back over the roller means substantially in the form of a helix defined by the loops laid up along the lengthwise extent of the roller means, a carrier adjacent one end of the roller means and attachable to and for revolving the leading end of the roped fabric around adjacent ends of the roller means and the guide; the improvement comprising drive means for rotating the roller means at selected preset speeds, drive means for revolving the carrier and a selectively variable positive drive transmission drivingly connected to the guide for driving the guide at selected speeds in relation with the rotational movement of the roller means so as to cause the formed loops to be received in selected pockets of the guide whereby the loops are laid up along the lengthwise extent of the roller means in a selectively "aried and controlled space apart arrangement.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein said guide is composed of a wire member helically coiled on and supported by a center stabilizing and supporting shaft with the turns of the wire member being spirally spaced apart and defining the pockets, and said selectively variable positive drive transmission is drivingly connected to the shaft for rotating the shaft at selected speeds so that the loops are received in selected ones of the pockets.

3. The invention of claim 2 wherein said drive means for the roller means includes a prime mover connected to the roller means and the drive means for the carrier includes a positive infinitely variable gearing connected between a drive element for the carrier and the roller means and said carrier is driven in timed relation with the guide.

4. The invention of claim 3 wherein said selectively variable positive drive transmission for the guide includes a multiple speed transmission unit connected between the guide shaft and the roller means.

5. The invention of claim 4 wherein said drive transmission means is composed of a multiple speed gearing arrangement including an input shaft connected to and driven by the roller means, an output shaft connected to the guide shaft and gears of varying ratio selectively connectable between the input and output shafts for driving the output shaft at different speed ratios in relation with the input shaft and a manually operated gear selector.

6. The invention of claim 1 wherein said guide is composed of a helical wire member having a series of spaced apart convolutions defining the pockets and having a plate at one end and said selectively variable positive drive transmission is drivingly connected to the said plate for rotating the wire member at selected speeds.

7. The invention of claim 6 wherein said drive transmission is connected by a drive arrangement with the roller means from which it receives its power.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,790,132 1/1931 Bronander 68-177 2,684,586 7/1954 Crarner et a1. 68176 10 3,308,639 3/1967 Ziegler et al. 68-176 WILLIAM I. PRICE, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 

